Forced landing another blow to Malaysia Airlines
Print Edition
A Malaysia Airlines plane with 166 people aboard was forced to make an emergency landing in Kuala Lumpur early yesterday in another blow to the flag-carrier’s safety image after the loss of flight MH370.
Flight MH192, bound for Bangalore in India, turned back to Kuala Lumpur shortly after it was discovered that a tire had burst on take-off, the airline said.
“As safety is of utmost priority to Malaysia Airlines, the aircraft was required to turn back to KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport),” the airline said in a statement.
The episode caused anxiety among passengers, with some crying or reciting prayers as the plane circled for hours off, Malaysian media reported.
The aircraft circled in order to burn up fuel — a common practice to make the plane lighter and minimize fire risks.
“The passengers were very scared when we learnt that the flight was having trouble,” the New Straits Times quoted a Dutch traveler as saying.
“Some were crying, while most of us had already started reciting prayers.”
The plane landed safely at 1:56am, nearly four hours after take-off, and all 159 passengers and seven crew members disembarked, the airline said.
It added that tire debris discovered on the runway had led to the decision to bring the Boeing 737-800 back.
“They have landed safely — thank God,” tweeted Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said police would probe the incident, including the possibility of sabotage.
A Malaysia Airlines spokeswoman said the re-scheduled flight left at 3:35pm yesterday.
Malaysia Airlines is still reeling from the loss of MH370, which disappeared on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
The Boeing 777 is now believed to have crashed into the remote Indian Ocean with 239 people aboard after inexplicably diverting from its route.
Malaysia Airlines had previously enjoyed a good safety record, as did the Boeing 777.
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